Check selecting apparatus



Dec. 3l, 1935. Q H. wAb-'SWRTH y. 2,026,262

' CHECK sELEcTING APPARATUS Filedx'flio; 1932 s sheets-sheet 1" H. wAnswoR'rH CHECK SELECTING APPARATUS s sneetsLsheet 2 Filed oct; 1o, 1932 Dec. 31, 1935.. L. H, wgbw`olli CHECK SELECTING APPARATUS l Filed oct. 1o, 1952 :s sneetsest.

` A ORNE Y6 scam. (ci. iai- 101) Patented 31, i935 UNiTEo STATL` CHECK sELEc'rmG APPARATUS miie n. Wadsworth,

Utah, assignor to l Magna, The Selector Corporation, SaltLake City, Utah,

a corporation of Utah Application october 1o, irse,v serial Nassau invention relates to apparatus for selecting coins or checks, for use in connection with vending machines, coin changing machines or other machines operated or controlled by coins 5 or checks.

The function .ot such apparatus, in proper coins or checks, denomination general, is to separate that is, coins or checks o i .certain and physical properties, from improper coins or checks, that is, coins or checks differing in denomination or physical properties from said propercoins or checks, forthe purpose of preventing fraudulent operation of the vending machine-or other apparatus with which the selecting 4device Vis associated.

The term check, as used hereinafter, will be understood to include any coin or check, consisting of metal or other material a'nd capable of causing operation of such vending machines or other apparatus.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved form vof checl: -selecting apparatus having a plurality of separate selecting chutes adapted for handling checks of d'iiferent sizes or denominations, and particularly to provide such a multiple-chute selecting apparatus of minimum size, weight and cost.

The -invention is particularly applicable tov check selecting apparatusof the types described in United States Patents of Wurzbach and Wadsworth Nos. 1,693,104, 1,732,826, 1,756,076, 1,851,557 the selecting operation is and 1,907,638 in which dependent, at least in part on the electrical conductivitypf the check, the selection of the checks according to the conductivity thereof` being effected by causing the check to traverse a m88- netic eld which sets, up induced electric currents in the check and influences the motion thereof in accordance with the electrical conductivity of the check, and subsequently separating or selecting the checks in accordance with v ldifferences in the motion thereof resulting from the influence of said magnetic field.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a multiple-chute check selecting` apparatus operating. on the above described principle, -in which the several selecting chutesare disposed close to one another, substantially parallel planes, within a compact unitary housing, and in which a single magnet is utilized for maintaining the magentic iieldsjin all of said chutes, said magnet being provided with a plurality of pairs of pole members magnetized by said magnet and so disposed asto define magnetic gaps across the respective chutes.

Whenthe several chutes are disposed in parallel. planes, it is necessary that atleast -one of the pole members for each-chute shall extend through the plane of at least one other chute in order to reach the'chute to which said pole member corresponds, and for this reason, it is prepreferably side by side inr 'vl is shown as provided with an upward exteninsertionpf nickels into .The in 'vidual pole members for the several chutes are preferably adjustably mounted, for 10 movement thereofin a direction substantially perpendicular to the planes of said chutes, for

the purpose of accurately aligning the OPPOS- ing pole faces of said pole members, so as to not only permit accurate alignment of the magnetic 15 'gaps therebetween 'with respect to the corresponding chutes, butto also permit adjustment of the gap length between said pole members` The accompanying' drawings illustrate a form of check selecting apparatus embodyingthis in- 20 vention, and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is' a side elevation of such apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, taken from the left end of Fig. 1;'

Figs. 3, 4 and 5' are vertical sections on line 25 3 3, 4-4 and 5-v5, respectively in Fig'. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional viewd on line 6 6 in Fig. 1;

'.Fig. 7 is a sectional .view on line 1-1 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section on line 8-8 in Fig. 3.

'I'he apparatus is shown as comprising side walls I and 2 and one or more intermediate partition walls disposed between said'side walls and ticular form of device shown is adapted to handle vchecks of three dierent sizes or denominations, such as United Statesv nickels, dimes and quarters. 1n this case, two intermediate .partitions 3 and 4 are provided, -and spacing members 5 and 6 are provided at the left and right ends of the apparatus, for spacing apart the wal-1s I, 3, l and 2, to provide three selecting chutes Bq, In and 6d therebetween. 'I *he width of the respective chutes is -preferablyonlyslightly greater than the thickness of the checks which are intended to be handled bythe respective chutes. The spacing members 5 andt'serve to substantially close the ends of said chutes and to form, in` conjunction with the side walls I and 2, a compact unitary housing.

At the upper portion of said housing are provided openings for insertion of checks-,into the respective chutes. For this purpose, the side wall sion Sq having an opening Iq for insertion of quarters into the'upper end of chute 8q; the par titon member 3 is provided with an upward extension Sn provided th an opening Wn forA the upper end of chute theiplartiton member 4 and side wall 2 are provided .with upward extensions 9d and I I,

the former of which is provided with an opening Illd for insertion of dimes into the upper end of chute 8d. 'I'he upward extension 9q is cut away as shown at I2, and the upward extension 911. is cut away as shown at I3 so as to permit access to the respective openings |011. and Id. Suitable spacing members such as indicated at I4 are also provided between the respective upward extensions above mentioned, and said spacing members are so formed as to provide passages |5q, |5n and I5d respectively, for conducting the checks inserted in the respective openings downwardly to a position adjacent the left end of the apparatus. From this point are provided chutes I 6q, |611 and I6d, inclined downwardly toward the right end of the housing. Positioned beneath said last namedchutes is provided a small permanent magnet I1 of modified horse-shoe shape, whose upper edge portion I8 preferably forms the bottom of the chutes |6q, |611, and |6d.

Said magnetl may consist of a single magnetextending across all of the selecting chutes and" through correspondingly shaped openings in the partition members 3 and 4. The purpose of the magnet I1 is to remove checks or slugs of iron or other metal of relatively high magnetic attractability, and -the right ends of the upper and lower portions, which form the two poles of said magnet, are preferably rounded as shovm at I9,

so as to cause checks attracted thereby to rolldownwardly around said poles. The lower face of said magnet is preferably inclined downwardly toward the left 'as shown at 2|.

Spacing strips or plates 22, 23 and 24 are provided in the respective chutes 8q, an and 8d, and between the walls |-3, 3 4 and 4-2 respec-y tively. Below these spacing strips or plates are provided a second set of spacing strips or plates 25, 26 and 21, which are also disposed in the respective chutes and between the respective plates above mentioned. 'I'he upper edges of thel strips 22, 23 and 24 are inclined downwardly toward the left, so as to provide downwardly inclined passages between said upper edges and the lower' face 2| of magnet I1, as indicated at 28q, 28u and 28d respectively, for guiding ymagnetic checks attracted by magnet I1 back toward the left end of the housing. The right hand edges of the strips 22, 23 and 24 are spaced from the right end spacing members 6 sufficiently to providepassages 29q, 291i and 29d, for downward passage of proper checks, which are not magnetically attracted by magnet I1 to a. suicient extent to remove the same from the path they normal-1y tend to follow. The upper right corners 22', 23 and 24 of the respective spacing strips serve as sharp edged dividing shoulders, so that all checks passing to the right thereof enter the proper check passages 29q, 29d and 2911,- while all checks passing to the left thereof enter .the improper check passages 28q, 2811. and 28d.

'Ihe lower faces of the strips 22, 23 and 24 and the upper faces of the strips 25, 26 and 21 are inclined downwardly toward the left so as to provide downwardly inclinedA passages 3Iq, 3In, and 3Id' in the respective chutes, communicating with the lower ends of the corresponding passages 29q et cetera. Furthermore, the strips 22 to 21 inclusive are of such shape and relative disposition that the passages 3Iq, 3I1L and 3|d are offset with respect to one another, as may be readily seen by a comparison of Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and by the 'dotted portions shown in Fig. 3. f

magnetic flux, should be offset with respect to In the device shown the strips 25, 26 and 21 are disposed at successively lower levels in the order named, and the strips 22, 23 and 24 are of successively greater height in the order named, s0 that the passages 3Iq, 3In and 3Id in the re- 5 spective chutes are successively displaced or offset downwardly with respect to one another, but it will be understood vthat the relative levels of these passages may be reversed or altered, or said passages may be offset with respect to one another in any desired manner. In any case, however, these passages, which constitute the portions of the respective selecting chutes in which the coins are caused to pass through a zone of concentrated 15 one another in the planes of said chutes. The strips 25, 26 and 21 are preferably provided with upper face portions 32, 33 and 34 which are disposed beneath the lower ends of the respective passages 29q, 29u and 29d and are of somewhat 20 less inclination than the remainder of the upper edges of said strips, said face portions 32 et cetera being positioned to receive checks falling through the passages 2911 et cetera and cause the same to be brought substantially to rest before 25 starting their downward movement in the respective passages 3Iq et cetera.

The means for creating zones of magnetic iiux across the respective passages 3Iq et cetera is shown as comprising a horse-shoe magnet 31 30 whose opposite arms or pole portions 31a and 31b extend at opposite sides of the above described housing. The magnet may extend around or embrace the right end portion of the housing. The respective arms 31a. and 31o are provided with 35 pole blocks 38a and 38h respectively. It will be understood that, if desired, these pole blocks may be formed integrally with the respective magnet arms, and it will also be understood that any other suitable type ofy permanent magnet, or an 40 electromagnet, may be substituted for that shown in the drawings, but in any event said magnet is preferably mounted with the opposite pole portions thereof disposed alongside the opposite sidesv of the selecting chutehousing. In the particular 45 construction shown, the pole blocks 38a and 38hare shown as consisting of separate members abutting the left ends of the respective magnet arms 31a and 31h, the magnet 31 being supported by means of a clamping bracket 39 secured to side 50 Wall I and provided with clamping screws 4| engaging the arm 31a of said magnet, and the pole blocks 38a and 38h being supported by means of brackets 42 secured to the respective side plates I and 2. 55 The magnet is also provided with a plurality of pairs of pole members 43q-44q, 43n441z and 43d--44d corresponding to the respective passages 3Iq et cetera and magneticallly connected to the respective pole portions of said magnet. As 60 shown, said pole members are threadedly mounted in bores 45a and 45h in the poleblocks'38'a and 38h respectively, and are provided at their outer ends with screw heads 46 for effecting inward and outward adjustment thereof. The pole 65 members 43q et cetera are made of different lengths, so that the respective pairs of pole members define magnetic gaps across the corresponding passages 3Iq et cetera as indicated at 41q, 41u and 41d respectively. It will be seen that 70 the pole member 44q extends through the planes of chutes 8d and 811 and through the walls 2, 4, and 3, in order to reach the chute Bq, while the pole member 43q projects only through the wall I. It will also be seen that, in each of the other 75 pairs of pole members, at least'one of the pole members extends through the plane of at least as shownl at 25', 26' and 21', and each 'of the chutes is provided with an unobstructed space such as' indicated at 5Iq, 5in and 51d, below and to the left of the points 25', 26 and 21', said spaces being sumciently extended in planes of the respective chutes to permit the checks to fall in a free trajectory through said spaces after leaving the passages 3Iq et cetera.

Impact members 52, 53 and 54 aregprovided in the respective chutes, and beneath the extended spaces5|q et cetera, andsaid impact members are`provided with impact faces 55q, 55n and 55d, disposed in such position asto be struck only by checks following certain trajectories in falling through said spaces. The chutes are'also provided with barrier members 56, 51 and 58 which are preferably provided with sharp pointed upper ends 56', 51 and 58'. The inclination or disposition of impact faces 55q et cetera and the positions of the upper ends 56' 'et cetera of said barrier members are such that checks striking said impact faces and rebounding therefrom in Athe proper manner, as determined by the velocity and :position of the impact and by the resilience' ofv the checks,

will pass over the upper ends of said barrier` members and will be delivered through passages 6I q, 6in' 'and Gld. These last named passages cons t'tute the passages through which properV checks are delivered to any suitable check controlled vending or dispensing mecha- *.nism or other apparatus in connection with which vthe selecting device is used.

Additional passages 62q, 6211r and 62d are pro. vided between the impact members 52 et cetera and the barrier members 56 et cetera for conducting away improper checks which fall short of the impact faces 55'q et cetera or which fail to rebound from said impact faces sufficiently tp pass over the barriermembers. The' spacing members 5 at the left end of the housing are .provided with inclined shoulders 6,3, 64 and 65. Said spacing members and shoulders are spaced from the left. ends of the strips 22, 23 and 26,

to -provide passages 66a, 6611 and 66d, throughv which checks removed by magnet I1 and delivered through passages 28a et cetera are di rected into 'the improper'check passages 62q et cetera. The shoulders 63 et cetera also serve to deflect certainrchecks whichare. delivered at excessive velocity from the passages 3Iq et cetera, into the corresponding improper check passages 62q et cetera. 1 Other passages 61q, 6111. and 61d 'may also ,be provided, to the`le'ft of the impact faces 55q et cetera, for conducting away improper checks which are delivered from the passages Blq et cetera at, sufllciet velocity to overrun the impact faces strike the shoulders 63 et cetera. The improper checks delivered through passages 62q, 62u, 62d, 61q, 61n and suitable receptacle or may be returned to a de` livery outlet exteriorly of the vending machine or other apparatus..so that they may be recovered '5511. and be discharged through passage 6211,

vor 6111,.

55a etcetera but do notV 61dmay be delivered into anyV by the person by whom they were deposited the Aselecting apparatus.

It will be understood that the walls I, 2, 3 and l, as well as the Vspacing strips and plates provided therebetween for dening the check passages of 5 suflicient to indicate the mode of operation of the l5 A others. Referring, for example, tovFig. 4, if a proper check (in the present instance a'United States nickel) is inserted through the opening it will passdownwardly throughV passages |5n, |611 and 2911 as'indicated by the arrows in 20 this figure. Striking the face 33, it will be brought .substantially toV rest, and will then roll .downwardly through passage 3ln. and through the zone' of magnetic fluxat "n, between pole members'ln 'and un. Upon passing through 25 this 'zone of magnetic flux the check will be retarded just suiciently,in accordance with the magnetic and electrical properties thereof, to cause the check, after` leaving the passage 3m, to fall in some such rtrajectory as indicated by `the arrows and strike impact face 5511. Due to the resilience of the check, it will then rebound from said impact face along some such path as indicated by the arrows, passing over the barrier member 51 and through passage lln.-

If an improper check is inserted in this same chute, it will be' separated according to one or the other of the following operations, and pre'- vented from entering the proper check outlet passage 6in. y 40 A. If a check or slug of iron or other highly paramagnetic material is inserted, it will be attracted by magnet 'l1 and delivered through passages 28n, 6611. and 6211. l

B. If a4 check is inserted which is of greater 45 electrical conductivity than the proper check it will be retarded to a less extent by the magneticv u x at 4111, and will either strike the shoulder 6l and be deflected into the passage 62u or will pass below' said shoulder but overrun the impact face 50 5511 and be delivered through passage 61u.

C. If a check is inserted which possesses the proper magnetic and electrical characteristics, as well as weight, so that it is caused to strike the impact face u in the proper manner, but is 55 .of dilerent resilience than the proper check, it

will fail to rebound suillciently from said impact face and will fall short of the barrier member 51 and be delivered through passage 62u.

D. If a check of improper weight is inserted, it will either fall short of shoulder l23' and pass through passages 2811., 6611, and 621i, or will fail toproperly strike and rebound from impact face It will thus be seen that only those checks which possess the proper weight, resilience, and

magnetic and ,electrical properties will be delivered through passage 6m, and all other checks will be delivered through passage 6211er passage 611i. In the same mannenithe other chutes will operate to deliver onLv the proper checks, namely,` quarters and dimes, through the passages 6 l q and 6Id, and will discharge all other checks through the respective improper check passages. v

CTI

, It will be observed that the individual magnet pole members 43q et cetera may be adjusted by screwing the same inward or outward in the pole block 38a or 38h, as the case may be,l so that the faces of said pole members may be brought closer together or further apart, thus regulating the intensity of the magnetic ilux therebetween so as to properly adjust the selective action of the magnetic ux in each of the selecting chutes.

In the particular form of apparatus above described, the manner in which the magnetic flux is utilized to influence the motion of the check,

' and the manner invwhich the subsequent selective separation of the checks is effected in accordance with the motion of the check after it is thus iniluenced, are similar to lthe mode of operation of the types of apparatus described in theiabovementioned Patents Nos. 1,693,104 and 1,851,557. In this type of apparatus, the check selecting chute is provided with a downwardly inclined passage in which the check is caused to roll through the zone cf magne ic flux, and the check is subsequently delivered from this passage into an extended space in which it is permitted to fall in a free trajectory which is determined by the retarded influence of the magnetic iluXv the motion of the check, and checks which fall in a certain trajectory are separated from checks falling in other trajectories.

In the other issued patents above mentioned, other types of apparatus are shown, in which the passing of the check through the magnetic ux, the iniluencing of the motion thereof by said magnetic flux, and the subsequent separation of the checks in accordance with the motion thereof after being so influenced, are brought about' in diierent ways. It may be noted, however, that in each of these forms of apparatus, the check selecting chute is provided with a passage across which a zone of magnetic flux is maintained by means of suitably disposed pole members, the check is caused to pass through said passage and through said zoneof magnetic flux in such manner that Iche velocity or direction of motion of the checkis influenced by said ux, and suitable means are provided for subsequently separating checks having a certain motion after being thus influenced from checks having other than this certain motion. By providing a plurality of similar selecting chutes of any of these types, parallel and closely spaced within a unitary housing, the pole members for maintaining the zones of magnetic flux in all of said chutes vmay be connected to a common magnet in substantially the same manner as above described, provided the portions of the respective chutes in which the' checks are passed through the magnetic flux are offset with respect to one another. It will be'evident, therefore, that the present invention may be applied to the forms of apparatus shown in any of the above mentioned patents, and the claims appended hereinto are intended to cover anysuch embodiment of this invention.

I claim:

.1. A check selecting apparatus comprising a unitary housing'provided with a plurality of check selecting chutes disposed in diiferent parallel planes close to one another within said housing i and with openings for insertion of checks into the respective chutes, the respective chutes being provided with corresponding check-conducting passages oset with respect to one another, a singl'e magnet having its opposite pole portions disposed at opposite sides of said housing and provided with a plurality of pairs of pole members corresponding to the respective chutes, the pole members Vof each pair being magnetically connected to the respective pole portions of said magnet and having their faces disposed closely adjacent the respective sides of the said offset check-conduct- '10 ing passage of the corresponding chute so as to maintain a 'zone of magnetic flux across the portion of said passage therebetween and thus inuence the motion of a check in passing through said passage, and means associated with the respective 15 chutes to receive checks from said check-conduct ing passages and operable to selectively separate said checks in accordance with the influence of said magnetic ux upon said motion of the checks;

2. A check selecting apparatus comprising a i() unitary housing providedwith side walls and with a plurality of check selecting chutes disposed in closely spaced parallel planes between said side walls and with openings for insertion of checks into the respective chutes, the respective chutes being provided with corresponding check conducting passages oifset with respect to one another, a plurality of pairs of pole members corresponding lto the respective chutes and disposed at opposite sides of -the respective offset passages thereof, each of said pole members lextending through one of the side walls of saidhousing and across the plane of each chute between said side wall and the chute corresponding to said pole member, a vsingle magnet having'its opposite pole portions magnetically connected to the respective pole members of all of said pairs so as to maintain a zone of magnetic ux across said passages in all of said chutes and influence the motion of checks passing therethrough in accordance 4o with the electrical conductivity thereof, and means associated with the respective selecting chutes for selectively separating checks in accordance with the influence thus produced;

3. A check selecting apparatus comprising a plurality of check selecting chutes disposed close to one another in different parallel planes and having openings for the insertion of checks into the respective chutes, the respective chutes being provided with corresponding check-conducting passages offset with respect to one another, a single magnet having its opposite pole portions embracing the outer chutes and provided with a plurality of pairs of polc members corresponding to the respective chutes and arranged in staggered relation, the pole members of each pair being magnetically connected to the respective pole portions of said magnet and having their faces disposed closely adjacent the respective sides of said oiset check-conducting passage of the corresponding chute so as to maintain a zone of magnetic ux across the portion of said passage therebetween and thus influence the motion of a check in passing through said passage and means associated with the respective chutes to receive checks from said check-conducting passages and opera` ble to selectively separate said checks in accordance with the influence of said magnetic flux upon the motion of the checks. j

LESLIE H. WADSWORTH. 

